Vertical parallel transportation of caps

ABSTRACT

A device for conveying closures (D) made from metallic sheet in an essentially vertical direction from a collecting point ( 1 ) to a release point ( 6 ) is proposed. The closures are selected to be in correct position during conveying in order to release at the release point ( 6 ) only same-lying closures in a row of closures following one another closely. A conveyer belt ( 10 ) serves for the transport (v 1 , v 2 ) of the closures. A sensor and discharge device ( 17, 16, 19, 18; 3 ) serves for detecting wrong-position closures and for lateral discharge (q 1 , q 2 ) of individual wrong-position closures. In the course of the conveyer belt ( 10 ) upstream of the sensor and discharge device, a bar ( 15 ) is arranged above the conveyer belt, which terminates after the sensor and discharge device ( 17, 16, 19, 18; 3 ). More than one row (R 1 , R 2 ) of closures next to one another may be supplied separately to the sensor and discharge device ( 17, 16, 19, 18; 3 ). The performance itself is thus increased if the speed of the belt ( 10 ) is reduced. Performance is understood to mean the number of conveyed lids/minute which hitherto reached an order of magnitude of about 800 lids/minute.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. §120 and is a divisionalof U.S. application Ser. No. 10/829,387, filed Apr. 22, 2004 now U.S.Pat. No. 7,331,443.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention is concerned with a process for the conveying of closuresmade from metal sheet (metallic sheet).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Conveyer devices for preferably vertical conveying of closure lids madefrom magnetically attractable (ferromagnetic) metal sheet are in essencea way of separating a quantity of individual closures collectivelyconveyed or taken from a container, and which are guided together toform a line of closures, which line is conveyed upwards by a conveyerbelt in longitudinal direction. In the course of longitudinal conveying,a blow-off device, which is coupled functionally to a sensor devicewhich detects whether the closure, which in each case has just arrivedbelow the sensor device, is placed in the row in the correct position orin the wrong position, is arranged laterally at one point of theconveyer belt. This identification can be achieved easily due to the capstructure of the closure lid, because the covering wall (surface or“panel”) of the closure lid of U-shaped section produces a differentsensor signal than the measurement in the hollow interior of the cap.Therefore the closure lids, which lie in the row with their edge bars oredges on the conveyer belt and with their flat upper sides (coveringwalls) pointing towards the sensor, may be easily identified. These capsare blown off laterally by a pulse of compressed air so that fewerclosures remain, which are conveyed in longitudinal direction, after thesensor and discharge device. Hence the closures are cleared-up withregard to their position. Hence, only correct-position closures arefound in the row which is now provided with gaps, so that the conveyingcapacity is reduced (internal use, no publicly accessible referenceknown).

In order to compensate the reduction in conveying capacity, attemptshave been made for a long time and also developments successfullyconcluded, in which the cap-like closures—instead of being blown off—arerotated using a turning device and again placed in the row, see forexample WO-A 01/55014 (CCS&CMB), page 8 there, lines 16 to 22 and claim13 there, feature (ii). A reduction in the performance, measured in(correctly lying) closure lids (“closure”) per minute (or lids or capsper minute) may thus be avoided, in each case compared at the same speedof the conveyer belt.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention takes a different path. As a technical way of looking at aproblem, it may not only retain the conveying capacity (performance),but optionally also increase it without using an expensive device forturning the lids or having to accelerate the belt. Rejecting the aim ofthe state of the art, the performance should thus be able to beincreased even if the speed of the belt is reduced. Performance isunderstood to mean below the number of conveyed lids/minutes, whichcurrently reaches an order of magnitude of about 800 lids/minute.

According to the invention as claimed, considerably more or a largenumber of lids are supplied in parallel to a sensor and discharge deviceon the conveyer belt, so that the loss due to discharge of lids notplaced in correct position is not crucial or hardly crucial.

According to the invention, the performance may be almost doubled,easily dependent on how many closures are situated in the wrong positionin the several rows (preferably two rows) of supplied lids.

For two tracks or lines of parallel conveyed lid rows which are suppliedadjacently on the conveyer belt, separated by a bar which divides theconveyer belt preferably essentially centrally into two longitudinallydirected elongated conveying sections, the conveying capacity isvirtually doubled. The two rows supplied to the sensor and dischargepoint are guided together again after the end of the bar physicallyseparating them, following the sensor and discharge device, in order toform a row of closures following one another closely or a virtuallygap-less chain of closures. This row may also be called a “closurestring” or a virtually gap-less chain of lined-up closures, which arereleased for further processing or processing at the outlet of theconveyer device.

The supply of such closure lids may take place from a container, inwhich they are stored in bulk. Suitable metallic (ferromagnetic)closures are those which are used in packaging technology, for examplesheet metal lid closures with covering wall and peripheral wall andthereon radially inwardly pointing cams for forming “cam rotaryclosures”. They may be conveyed by the device, wherein the releasedclosure string of lids is either further processed or is furtherconveyed to the closing machine.

Under the assumption of doubling the supplied quantity indicated aboveat the same speed of the conveyer belt, it depends on the number of lidsnot lying in the correct position as regards the actual capacityincrease achieved. Assuming hypothetically that no such lids are in bothconveying strings, the capacity may be doubled. However, usually thiscannot be assumed so that a certain number of supplied lids do not liein the correct position, statistically seen in each row half, so thatthe performance is at least equal even without a lid turning device withrespect to single-track conveying supplied only in correct position. Ina comparison with single-track conveying—with lids statisticallydistributed half in correct position and half in wrong position—theinvention achieves essentially virtually double the performance.

Those lids which lie in the wrong position are rejected at the sensorand discharge station only from the direction of running of the belt, inmost cases laterally ejected, and fall back into the containerdescribed, from where they are taken up again and supplied.

Ejection of the lids may take place on two sides, depending on theseparating device as, for example the bar, which both lid rows passguided in parallel. Starting from that, ejection may take place to theone or to the other side, that is on both sides. A blow-off pulse ofcompressed air thus comes from the centre of the belt and is triggeredby nozzles which are directed in opposite manner. They are arrangedfirmly on the bar and do not change their height relative to the surfaceof the belt for a size/height of closure lids. If the type of conveyedclosure lids is changed, that is either in their diameter or in theirheight, adjustment may take place at the sensor and discharge device. Atleast the sensors of the sensor and discharge device may thus beadjusted at a height relative to the surface of the belt. Thesensitivity of the sensors may also be adjusted by the heightadjustment.

Tests have shown that increases in capacity up to 1,500 lids/minute maybe achieved using the conveyer method as claimed for essentially thesame belt speed of a comparable plant.

Discharge is favoured if the sensor device and the discharge device arespaced slightly in longitudinal direction in each case on one of the twoadjacent conveying sections. Hence, time delays may be compensated bythe sensor when detecting a wrong-position closure, whereas the conveyerbelt continues to move the closure lid just measured and detected by thesensor.

Laterally projecting guide strips may conduct the rejection of the lidand ensure that the lateral ejection movement is always converted into adownward movement, supplemented by the force of gravity, so that thelids lying in the wrong position are returned to the collectingcontainer.

If the sensors can be adjusted in their height position relative to thebelt surface, the conveyer device may be adapted in height to differentlids. Different lid diameters between, for example about 27 mm up to forexample about 53 mm may also be conveyed by the same arrangement whichis only limited in the conveyable maximum diameter in that the remainingbelt sections on both sides of the bar should still be so wide to beable to accommodate the flat sides (the ferromagnetic covering walls) ofthe lids and to convey them by frictional force, whereas magnets areprovided which press the lids onto the surface of the conveyer belt withtheir magnetic force. Adjustment of the distance of the elongated magnetmay influence this force, which acts on the ferromagnetic lids.

In the guiding-together region, an elongated magnet, which is at anangle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the belt and whichfavours guiding together is provided. It starts from the end of thefirst elongated magnet which essentially terminates where the sensor anddischarge device is arranged, and extends at an angle upwards in thedirection towards one edge of the belt in the case of a verticallystanding device. Both rows of closures cleared of wrongly lying closuresare guided together by this magnet guide lying at an angle and reach thedischarge end. Guiding together takes place on the same conveyer belt,on which supply to the sensor and discharge device also took place, onlyafter the latter. Without interposing further conveyer belts ordiverting points for the conveyed closure lids, supplying of thenon-uniform lid rows and guiding together of only correct-position lidrows is achieved in a small space or a short length.

A further guide member may achieve support here and improve theformation of the row of closures following one another closely. It isarranged upstream of the discharge and at a distance from the sensor anddischarge device. It has a guide surface or guide edge at an angle tothe longitudinal axis of the belt or central plane and can be pivoted ina small pivoting angle about a pivotable bearing, depending on apressure which is exerted on the guide member by the several closurelids supplied—in the guiding-together region.

The guide member at the discharge end is biased by a spring force(resiliently flexible), so that deflection effects an increase in springforce, in order to optionally release wedged lids at their pointed end(nose end) and to make them either into such lids which run into a feedhopper to form the lid row following one another closely or to make theminto such lids which slide along a deflecting edge of this guide memberand are deflected laterally from the conveyer belt in order to also fallback into the collecting container.

The guide member after the sensor and discharge device guides togetherthe several separate rows in a guiding-together section into the row ofclosures following one another closely.

The elongated magnetic device in the guiding-together region and/or theelongated magnetic device in the upstream region, which upstreammagnetic device extends into the sensor and discharge region, may becomposed of individual piece magnets, which are inserted in anelongated, flat support arrangement. An elongated magnetic device, whichfixes the single individual magnets against one another, is thusproduced. Due to the position of the accommodation points in the supportarrangement, track sections (guide lines) are defined which consist ineach case of individual magnets. At least one of these track sections isinclined with respect to a central plane of the conveyer belt in orderto form the inclined elongated magnetic device. This inclination relatesto the guiding-together region, where a row is formed from several rowsof closure lids, which takes place like points by presetting theindividual magnets along guide lines at different angles—to a vertical(for example the central plane).

Also upstream of the guiding-together region, the elongated magneticdevice may consist of two spaced rows of individual magnets, which arearranged so that in each case one row lies on this side and that side ofthe bar and is arranged below the conveyer belt.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

The invention is illustrated and supplemented using exemplaryembodiments.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a first section 2, 3 of the conveyerdevice.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a second section 4, 5 of the conveyerbelt, above FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a complete view of the vertically erected conveyer device withsections 1 to 6.

FIG. 4 illustrates schematically elongated magnetic devices 50, 51 whichare arranged in the upper part section 3 of the first section 2, 3 andin the lower part section 4 of the second section 4, 5 below theconveyer belt. The magnet pieces, which are circular here, are notclosure lids as have been illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3.

FIG. 5 is a section in the direction of the central plane correspondingto the track path 56, wherein at the top the conveyer belt 10 and at thebottom an elongated support device 53 with the magnet pieces, which canbe seen in FIG. 4, are shown in detail.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the distance relationships of the magnetpieces based on a closure lid D to be conveyed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The device for conveying the metallic closure lids operates vertically,as may be seen using an example from FIG. 3. Starting from acontainer—not shown in more detail—lying at the bottom in section 1 ofthe conveyer device, into which a continuous conveyer belt 10 engages,closure lids D are moved upwards along two tracks on the continuousconveyer belt 10. A combined section of sensors 17, 19 and dischargedevices 16, 18, which may be formed as metal sensors or blowing nozzlesfor compressed air ejection, is situated in section 3 approximately atthe central height. A bar 15 extends into the collecting container andlies above the upper side of the upper conveyer strand of the conveyerbelt 10. The bar extends into the section 3, where the sensor anddischarge device is arranged. The collecting section 4, in which closurelids are guided together without a bar design, starts above section 3towards a feed hopper which is formed in section 5.

FIG. 3 shows on the left of the feed hopper a moveable guide member, thepivoting axis of which is arranged below a carrying strap 80. After thehopper section 5, a discharge section 6 is connected, which releases arow of closures following one another closely and which are movedupwards, optionally are then diverted and are supplied to their use orapplication or reprocessing.

The lower section 2, 3 above the collecting point 1 in the container isshown in FIG. 1. The upper section 4, 5, starting after the sensor anddischarge device 3 (or the section 3 of the conveyer path), isillustrated in FIG. 2.

Lids in correct position and wrong position can be seen from FIG. 3. Awrong-position closure is placed so that the peripheral wall pointstowards the conveyer belt and in the plan view of FIG. 3, the outersurface of the covering wall of the closure can be seen. Acorrect-position closure is placed so that the covering wall of theparticular closure lies on the conveyer belt, on which the covering wallis pressed by a magnetic force of attraction of a device 50, which isarranged below the upper strand of the conveyer belt. The peripheralwall can be seen as an edge line pointing upwards towards the observerin FIG. 3. Due to the frictional force between a particular closure lidand the surface of the conveyer belt, a transporting force (by means ofthe frictional force formed via μ_(R)) may be transferred by pressing.Nevertheless, the lids also slip on the conveyer belt if they abutagainst one another or come across obstacles, as shown in FIG. 3 insection 4 at the inlet of the hopper section 5. Several lids abutagainst one another here and are jostled into the inlet, wherein thoselids are also shown which are ejected laterally, because they may nolonger be taken up by the hopper section due to the excess quantity ofavailable (transported) lids.

The belt according to FIG. 1 is moved upwards. In each case one of tworows R1, R2 of closure lids D can be seen on this side and the otherside of the bar 15, as illustrated by FIG. 3. Both rows lie on the sameconveyer belt and are moved upwards according to the speed of the belt.They reach the sensors 17 or 19 which detect whether a closure lidsituated in each case under them lies in correct position or wrongposition. If it lies with the covering wall pointing upwards towards thesensor, the discharge device belonging to a particular sensor isactivated in order to eject this lid laterally. This takes place byactivating a short air pulse which results for row R1 in deflection q1of the lid D10, which is guided laterally by a guide element 30 anddeflected downwards in order to fall into the container 1. The samehappens with the second row R2 and the sensor 19 arranged here and theejector 18 provided at a distance therefrom, which may also be operatedby compressed air. If the sensor 19 detects a closure lid lying wrongly,a nozzle 18 activates an ejection pulse q2 which leads to the lateralpressing out of the lid D11. This lid is diverted by a deflecting device31, correspondingly that deflecting device 30, and thrown back downwardsinto the container 1.

Two wipers 20, 21, which wipe lids lying one on another so that only onelayer of lids, but several strings (or rows) of lids are moved upwards,are provided above the two elongated guide track sections on this sideand that side of the bar 15.

After the end of the bar 15, the two rows R1, R2 cleared ofwrongly-lying lids, symbolised here by the lids D, may be guidedtogether in order to produce a single row of lids, which takes place insections 4 and 5 of the conveyer path. Reference should thus be made tothe illustrations of FIG. 2.

First of all it should also be explained that the two discharge devices16, 18 are directed outwards, that is operate in opposite direction, inorder to discharge the wrong-position closure lids. They fallout—depending on the composition of the rows R1, R2—to the one or otherside of the conveyer belt, as is shown clearly also in FIG. 3 by twofalling lids below the two guides 30, 31.

The distance “a” may be the same for sensor and discharge device on bothsides of the bar 15. It compensates a delay which correspondsessentially to the transit time of the lids between the sensor point andthe site of discharge.

To adapt to different heights of the conveyed lids, the sensors may beheight-adjustable using an adjusting device on the bar 15, relative tothe surface of the conveyer belt. The discharge heads 18, 16 on theother hand are mounted on the central bar 15 at a fixed height.

The magnetic device 50 is indicated in FIG. 1 as placed below the upperstrand of the conveyer belt running upwards. Its distance (from thebelt) may be adjusted in order to change the magnetic force on the lidand hence the quantity of conveyed lids. The magnetic device 50 iselongated and has a width which is adequate to magnetically attract theclosures of preset diameter so that the frictional force of the belt isadequate for conveying. Due to the double-track conveying, the magneticdevice extends on both sides of the bar 15. In longitudinal direction,it extends as far as the discharge device and optionally slightlybeyond, so that a connection magnetic device 51, which can be seen fromFIG. 2, does not leave too great a gap in order to facilitate continuousconveying of the closure lids. The end of the bar 15 is provided in FIG.1 after the uppermost of the discharge elements 18, 16. The exactposition of this end may be changed easily, it should lie in the regionof the sensor and discharge device and not extend too far into theguiding-together section 4, in which the lids separated beforehand bythe bar 15 are to be guided together. The distance of the connectionmagnetic device 51 (from the conveyer belt) can also be adjusted inorder to change the magnetic force on the conveyed lids.

The speeds v1 drawn in for the first row R1 of closures and v2 for thesecond row R2 of closures are the same, since both closures lie on thesame conveyer belt, only at the beginning separated physically by theseparating device 15 designed as the bar which does not touch the beltsurface, but is arranged above it.

Section 4 of FIG. 2 follows on from FIG. 1 and its upper end. No centralbar is provided in the guiding-together section 4, rather the beltsurface of the conveyer belt 10 is free. A magnetic field, aligned at anangle inclined with respect to a central plane 100 of the belt, from anelongated magnetic device 51 guides the metallic closures, or pressesthem, against the conveyer belt, which moves them upwards due tofrictional force. At the same time, the closures are deflected laterallyby the alignment of the magnetic device 51. Its conveying speed v3corresponds essentially to the belt speed and those speeds v₁, v₂, whichwas described for the first and second row R₁, R₂.

The magnetic device 51 is connected essentially to the upper end of thepreceding magnetic device 50, but is significantly narrower, preferablyessentially half as wide. The magnetic device leads into an inlet, whichis formed on the left of a guide member 60 and on the right of an edge70, which is formed by an elongated guide member or guide strip 71. Thisguide member 71 can be adjusted in transverse direction x₇₀ in order tochange the guide edge 70 at a distance from the pivotable left-handguide member 60.

The magnetic device 51, which is arranged below the upper strand of theconveyer belt 10, extends into the feed hopper between the edge 70 ofthe guide strip 71 pointing to the left and the edge 62 of the guidemember 60 pointing to the right. Its position (inclination) may bechanged with respect to the central plane 100 of the conveyer belt inorder to be adapted to changes in the position of the guide member 60and the adjustment of the guide strip 70.

The guide member 60 on the left of the magnetic device 51 is mountedpivotably on a pivotable bearing 60 a. It has the previously describedinner edge 62 which is orientated at an angle with respect to thecentral plane and a curved running front edge 63, which may be designedas an edge or as a bar or as a flat section, depending on the height ofthe guide member. This guide edge is arched so that a closure abuttingat a front nose section 61, which is slightly rounded, is pressed eitherinto the feed hopper, or is deflected via the deflecting edge 63outwards from the conveyer belt 10 in order to fall back into thecontainer 1.

Depending on the number of closures jostling into the feed hopper, apressure force is formed on the pivotable guide member 60, whichfacilitates a reaction force via a spring device 66. If the pressureforce increases either on the nose section 61 or the inner guide edge62, the guide member is deflected in order to change the mouth of thefeed hopper. Possibly blocking closures at the inlet, as are shown forexample in FIG. 3, may be loosened and threading of the closures intothe required row of closures following one another closely isfacilitated. Wedging at the feed hopper may be avoided, wherein the feedhopper starts wider due to the alignment of the two edges 70, 62 formingit and becomes narrower at the top in order to have its lowest widthtowards the discharge region 6.

In order to restrict the movement clearance of the guide member 60 whichis pivotable in the angle α, a guide 64 is provided which has two endstops for an inner and an outer rest position. A pin 65 is placed in theguide 64, so that pivoting of the guide member 60 at one of the two ends64 a, 64 b of the curved slot 64 defines a particular end stop. Theinner end stop or the rest position is shown, at which no force isexerted by the lids on the guide member 60 and therefore also no springforce F is produced by the spring device 66 as (resiliently flexible)counter-force.

For stronger pressure, the guide member 60 falls back by a small angle,which is settled up to 30°, preferably in the range between 12° and 20°.

A plate 68 is arranged below the guide member 60 acting like anelongated triangle, on which it can be moved in sliding manner by itspivoting movement. A raised stop 69 arranged opposite serves toaccommodate the spring device 66 and for its support relative to theschematically shown belt body, which defines the conveyer belt 10 onboth sides.

The nose section 61 serves to separate those closures which are alsosupplied or aligned to the closure string and those closures which aredeflected by the conveyer track and thrown down at the side. Thepivotable bearing 60 a is arranged at the acute angle of the guidemember 60 acting like a triangle opposite the thus formed deflectingedge 63. To clarify the attachment site of the pivotable bearing, thesupporting bar 80 is shown broken away in the region of the bearing. Incorresponding manner, the bearing 60 a is drawn in as a dashed line inFIG. 3 below this supporting bar.

The likewise provided adjustment of the second guide side edge 70 on theguide strip 71 takes place through elongated holes and bolts 72, 73, ineach case adapted to an actual diameter of conveyed closure lids.

A further sensor and blow-off arrangement may be arranged at the upperend close to the transition between the feed hopper 5 and the conveyingsection 6, as was illustrated using devices 18, 19. A safety check takesplace here and those closures which in rare cases are passed to thispoint in wrong position are ejected laterally and fall from here backinto the container 1. Ejection takes place in the same manner, asillustrated using the guides 30, 31 acting as tracks in region 3.

An additional guide element 75 may also be arranged opposite the guidestrip 71 on the other side of the belt and closer to the sensor anddischarge region 3 in order to serve as a safety guide.

The elongated magnetic device 51 may also make a contribution to thedescribed lateral guides 71, 60 and 75 for the guiding together of theclosure lids conveyed upwards in several rows. It was thus alreadydescribed that the elongated magnetic device may laterally deflect theclosures during their movement v₃. This lateral deflection may bereinforced if the magnetic device is indeed also designed as anelongated magnetic device, but defines independent magnetic tracks, asbecome clear from FIG. 4. Here too, the elongated magnetic device 51,which can be seen in plan view in region 5 when the conveyer belt 10 isshown broken away, and moreover belt path extending as far as section 3in dashed line representation is placed below the conveyer belt 10,serves for lateral advancement. A number of individual magnets, whichhave cylindrical shape, can be seen in FIG. 4. They are arranged at adistance from one another and due to their lining-up form tracks 55, 56,57 which may be regarded as connecting lines of the particular centresof the cylindrical magnets. The individual magnets themselves are thusmounted in a non-magnetic support 53, which can be seen from FIG. 5. Itis arranged below the conveyer belt and has recesses, into which thecylindrical magnets are inserted and hence fixed in their relativeposition to one another. The non-magnetic support plate 53 has adistance e from the lower side of the conveyer belt 10, which can beseen in FIG. 5 with a lid D (at a diameter d0) serving as an example.

The track 56, which is shown in FIG. 5 in section, can be seen from FIG.4. The lining-up of the cylindrical magnets 56 a, 56 b, 56 c, 56 d, 56 eproduces a continuation of the track guide of the right-hand row R2,which is shown in FIG. 4 as track 59. The second track 55 of magnets 55a, 55 b, . . . 55 d running at an angle with respect to the tracksection 56 conveys the closure lids of the left-hand row R1 cleared ofwrongly lying closures into a points section in the guiding-togetherregion 4, to which the track 57 is connected, which runs essentiallyparallel to the track 56. Here too, individual magnets are inserted inthe support plate 53 at a distance from one another, so that the centresof the magnets 57 a to 57 d produce the track guide of the guide line57.

The track sections 55, 56 and 57 may also have different inclinationswith respect to one another if they have in common in theguiding-together region a cutting point, in which the lids from the tworows R₁ and R₂ are guided together in order to be introduced into thehopper inlet between the pivotable guide member 60 and the right-handguide strip 71. In the example shown of FIG. 4, it can be seen that theguide line 56 of the individual magnets 56 a to 56 e has at the start aslight inclination with respect to the central plane of the conveyerbelt 10. At least two of the conveyer devices 55 to 57 have differentinclinations with respect to the central plane 100 described.

The elongated magnetic device 50, which extends into the sensor anddischarge region 3, may also be designed in the same manner. For it, theguide devices 58, 59 as connection of the centres of the individualmagnets, are however aligned in parallel and have no inclination to oneanother whatever. The individual magnets 58 a to 58 d form the conveyerdevice 58 on the left of the central bar 15, whereas the individualmagnets 59 a to 59 d clarify the conveyer device 59 on the right of thecentral bar 15. The elongated conveyer device 50 can be seen in planview due to the belt section 10 shown broken away. It also has anelongated support device 54, into which the magnets are thus inserted,like that described using FIG. 5 for the elongated conveyer device 51.

Reference may be made to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 regarding the arrangement,positioning and relative alignment of the individual magnets.

A ferromagnetically acting lid, which is attracted by the individualmagnets 56 b, 56 c, has such a diameter d0 that always at least one,preferably both, magnets may have influence on it in an intermediateregion, in order to be able to ensure the force F_(M) during conveyingat such a height (amount), that during an upward movement according toFIGS. 1 to 4, the weight F_(G) does not become greater than theopposite-acting frictional force F_(R), which in the case of staticfriction is proportional to the force of attraction F_(M). The distance“e” used for adjusting this force may be preset via the adjusting device40 by Δe.

The distance “c” of the individual magnets in the support plate 53according to FIG. 5 is determined so that it should not be greater,preferably even somewhat smaller, than the smallest lid diameter d to beconveyed. The diameter dl of the individual magnet pieces is relativelysmall based on the belt width b₁₀, for example below 15%, so that thereis considerable freedom for positioning the individual magnet pieces.

They may be arranged along the tracks 55, 56 and 57, optionally also 58and 59, in each case designated as conveying direction or conveyingline, also offset with respect to one another in order to take intoaccount the cylindrical shape and to reduce the distance which theclosest-lying edges of the magnet pieces have, as clarified in FIG. 5using the distance c.

If the individual magnet pieces have adequate force of attraction, thetrack guiding applied by the tensile force F_(M) and guiding of the lidsto be orientated laterally to one another in the guiding-together regionmay be achieved virtually just by the individual magnets, withoutconsiderable lateral guide elements being necessary. For example thesafety guide 75 could be omitted.

The individual track sections 55, 56, 57, their inclination to oneanother and a certain length of the individual sections, which is presetin each case, thus make a considerable contribution to guiding-togetherof the parallel rows R₁, R₂ in an entire row R₃ for introduction intothe hopper section and further conveying to the discharge section 6.

1. A method for upwardly conveying closures made from sheet metal, theconveying upwards from a collecting point to a higher release point,wherein at the release point same-lying closures are released, andwherein the method comprises: (a) conveying more than one row ofarbitrary lying closures upwardly to a sensor-and-discharge-device on asingle conveyer belt; (b) discharging wrong-lying closures in the morethan one row of arbitrary lying closures towards opposite sides at thesensor-and-discharge-device such that closures that remain on the singleconveyor belt are same-lying closures in the more than one row; and (c)guiding together, after the sensor-and-discharge-device, the more thanone row of same-lying closures by a resiliently tensioned guide memberthat provides for a single line of same-lying closures conveyed towardsthe release point on the single conveyor belt to be released as thesame-lying closures at the higher release point.
 2. The method accordingto claim 1, further comprising: conveying the more than one row ofarbitrary lying closures to the sensor-and-discharge-device on separatetracks on the single conveyer belt, wherein a track separation ispresent prior and before and is removed after and behind thesensor-and-discharge-device.
 3. The method according to claim 1, furthercomprising arranging a magnetic device, inclined at an angle withrespect to a central plane of the single conveyer belt, between thesensor-and-discharge-device and the release point, the magnetic deviceconfigured to guide the more than one row of same-lying closurestogether on the single conveyer belt in a correctly lying row.
 4. Themethod according to claim 3, further comprising: adjusting the angle ofinclination of the magnetic device with respect to the central plane toaccommodate various closure sizes.
 5. The method according to claim 1,further comprising: supplying two rows of the arbitrary lying closuresto the sensor-and-discharge-device on the single conveyer belt, the tworows being separated by a bar of a defined length.
 6. The methodaccording to claim 1, further comprising exerting a pressure force onthe resiliently tensioned guide member, the force facilitating areaction force via a spring device.
 7. The method according to claim 6,further comprising deflecting the guide member upon an increase of thepressure force either on a nose section or an inner guide edge of thetensioned guide member, and upon such deflection a mouth width of anintake opening towards the release point is changed, and any closuresblocking the intake opening are loosened.